Condemning the alleged assault on DMK working president M.K. Stalin in the Assembly, party cadre staged road roko in various places on Saturday.
In the agitation organised at Tirunelveli Junction, 73 DMK functionaries, led by Abdul Wahab, Tirunelveli central district party secretary, blocked traffic and were arrested by police.
Former Speaker R. Avudaiyappan, former MLAs M. Appavu and N. Maalairaja and the party cadre blocked vehicular traffic near Periyar statue near Palayamkottai bus stand around 5.30 p.m. and the police arrested 57 protesters.
Similar protests were organised at 20 places across the district, and the police detained 625 persons, including 40 women.
In Thoothukudi, 100 DMK cadre, led by district secretary N. Periasamy, attempted to block traffic near old bus stand and were arrested.
In Nagercoil, 35 DMK cadre, including former MP Helen Davidson and former MLA Bernard, were arrested when they attempted to block road at Kottar.
In Virudhunagar district, over 400 party cadre, including 20 women, were arrested when they staged road roko at eight places.
DMK functionaries staging road roko at Tirunelveli Junction on Saturday condumning the attack on DMK Working President M. K. Stalin.
Madurai
Madurai city police picked up more than 350 cadre, who attempted to block road near Periyar bus stand.
Some DMK men also took out a motorbike procession. They shouted slogans condemning the ruling party and demanded that shops down shutters.
A section of the party cadre burnt the effigy of Speaker P. Dhanapal.
DMK cadre arrested by police in Ramanathapuram on Saturday.
Ramanathapuram
In Ramanathapuram district, 593 party volunteers, including 12 women, were arrested when they staged road roko at 18 places, including Paramakudi, Kamudhi, Rameswaram, Mudukulathur, Thiruvadanai, RS Mangalam and Kadaladi.
Shops downed their shutters in front of the new bus stand in Ramanathapuram when partymen, led by Suba Tha Diwakaran, DMK district secretary, staged a protest.
In the protest led by Nazar Khan, DMK town secretary, in Rameswaram, party cadre resorted to stone pelting and damaged the windscreens of a Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation bus. All those arrested were released in the evening after being detained in marriage halls and community centres.
In Sivaganga district, police arrested 465 volunteers, including three women, when they staged road roko agitation at 12 places, including Karaikudi, Tirupattur and Devakottai.
DMK cadres staging a road roko near bus stand in Ramanathapuram on Saturday.
